Friday, March 20, 2015

The
Vernal Eqinox is upon us this weekend. Important holidays are coming. It is a
holy time for Jews and Christians. All of these are a time of reflection and
joy.

I would like to wish everyone
a spring full of sunlight and growth. This time of year brings me to thoughts
about being human, and what we all share. As a matter of fact, I think about being
the best human we can be. Allow me to
set a stage for a very important moment for these two faiths. We are at the foot of Mt Sinai. Moses has
brought the Ten Commandments down to the Israelites. He has given detailed
rules. What did the people say? Was it,
what we might think? We will listen and we will do?? NO. They said, “we will do and we willlisten.” Filled with so much faith in
these commandments, they instinctively understood that these were instructions
to be followed to the letter. There
would be time later to fully comprehend their meaning.

The Cantor at my synagogue,
Lonee Frailich, wrote about this a few weeks ago. I paraphrased what she wrote in our temple
bulletin about the Torah portion from that week.

These words struck me
because, although the people of Israel were not only given tools to act, they
were given these laws to help themreach beyond their limitations. The understanding and meaning behind these
actions could only come from the experience itself.

What does this bring up for
you? This probably sounds familiar to
those who engage in awareness and learning. In Awareness Through Movement® we move, and
then we learn. We help our students become aware of what they do, of what is
happening. We do and while we are doing, we explore, and learn. Moshe Feldenkrais gave us tools to be able to
learn more about ourselves, about our possibilities for growth and health, and
to live with grace.

In either a “hands on” or group session, understanding and
meaning of our actions comes from the experience of moving being mindful, and
connecting the parts. Dr. Feldenkrais taught us that we all, no matter what our
situation, ability, difficulty, or disability is, can learn and improve. He
taught us that even if we are high level performers, we have more potential to grow.

Moshe Feldenkrais obviously
did not invent these ideas. They have been around for thousands of years. He
pulled from a lifetime of learning and experience.

Although we strive to learn
and do good deeds for others, we must remember to take care of ourselves. Part
of helping the world, is helping yourself and staying healthy. Sometimes it is hard to take the time to
learn something new. I tell my children,
“act as if, and you will see and feel the change.”

Now I am inviting you to do and listen.
Experience an Awareness Through Movement® class or an individual session
with me. Learn to improve vitality and confidence. Decrease your pain, improve
your posture. Come and learn about
yourself.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

I read Helen Dennis’ column, “Successful Aging,” every
Sunday in the Daily Breeze. I’m thrilled
that she discusses topics relevant to today’s thriving Baby Boomers and seniors. No more languishing unsung in the corner for
this demographic; we’re about to start getting the respect and attention we deserve!

The topic of aging is dear to me for two reasons. The first is that I find myself advancing past
middle age in a sea of media that’s geared toward twenty and thirty somethings.
But ours is an age group that’s vital
and worthy! It is about time that we are
invited to the party.

Second, I have a bit of an odd family history: We either die in our forties or, like my mother,
live well into our 90’s. Since I’m
approaching my 64th birthday and am quite NOT dead, it seems I’m
following in my mother’s footsteps toward longevity.

So, I have chosen to age with grace.

And I’m not alone.
There’s a whole generation of people who want to learn how to be mindful
and take charge as they learn how to manage stress, tension, and pain. That’s why I teach people how to explore
what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. That means showing people how to undo the
habits that are undoing them. Exercise
for fun and fitness, but, as Moshe Feldenkrais said,

“If you know what you are
doing, you can do what you want.”

The recent Daily
Breeze column asked, “Should older adults join fitness centers?” The author urged us to “listen to our bodies.” Good advice indeed, but to me it came up a
bit short. Just HOW do we listen to our
bodies? If something hurts, do we just
quit? If we get tired, do we just quit? Unfortunately,
that might find a fair few of us taking up residence on the sofa. We might
listen, but how can we change what is happening. First, we must know what is
happening.

So, a few tips:

If you
are using a piece of equipment, or doing a particular exercise and you
hurt, don’t just stop, and definitely don’t “muscle through it.” This is
no time to be a martyr. If you feel
an exercise gives you pain, examine what you are doing. HOW are you doing
it? Often, you can figure out
another way to do it, which will keep you active and engaged.

If you
get tired, take mini rests throughout your workout. In strength training, there’s no benefit
to exercising until you drop. Just
forget that whole “no pain, no gain” thing. You could actually end up tearing muscle
fibers rather than building them! Slow and steady is the key here. These
rests might just help your brain catch up to your muscles. Rest BEFORE you
fatigue.

Know what
muscle groups are important for basic functions like walking, reaching,
twisting, and lifting. For example,
how many people know the importance of the muscles on the back the the thigh, the gluteal and hamstring muscles for
upright walking? This is where I, a
Feldenkrais Practitioner® can really help; you can experience how the body
works, allowing you to SAFELY build muscle while protecting joints and
ligaments and connecting all of this to your brain so that you will continue to function easily.

I go to a gym and I watch as seniors come in. Most walk while looking at the floor, afraid
of falling. I teach my senior clients
how to feel themselves on their feet and how to be in gravity; how to feel at
ease being upright. Strength training and
stretching won’t improve function.

Starting this spring, I’ll be teaching a “Change As You
Age®” workshop that will begin as 5 two-hour segments twice a month. We’ll
explore habits, how to spot them and
how to change them. Participants will gain
an understanding of how our minds and bodies work together to feel and function
better.